Steam-trap.



No. 847,131. PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907. G. E. VANCE.

STEAM TRAP.

AP--PLIGATION FILED DEO. 20. 1.906.

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STEAM-TRAP.

Specification o1' Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed December 20, 1906. Serial No. 348,737.

T0 if/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. VANOE, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the city of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered new and useful Imrovements in Steam-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in certain new and useful improvements in steam-traps whereby the contents of the trap when full is automatically discharged by the action of my improved valve mechanism, and after such discharge the valve automatically closes and remains closed until the trap fills once more. I also provide means for discharging the contents of the trap whenever desired and for holding the valve open at will. A novel construction and arrangement of parts is also shown.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my steam-trap, showing the valve mechanism closed. Fig. 2 is a broken vertical section on a somewhat-enlarged scale, showing the main valve closed and the relief-valve open. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing both main and relief valves open, while Fig. 4 is a cross-section along the line IV IV in Fig. 2.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings:

1 is the body of the casing of the trap, to which cover 2 is secured by any convenient means, such as bolts 3 3. A packing of any suitable character (not shown) may be introduced between the trap and cover to maint ain a steam-tight joint.

4 is the inlet-port for live steam, preferably adjacent to the top of the casing. The steam-line is provided with the usual valve (not shown) to control the admission of steam into the trap.

5 is a curved baille-plate downwardly depending within casing 1 in front of and in advance of port 4 to throw the entering steam toward the bottom of the casing to deposit the water contained therein. Said baffleplate may either be made integral with cover 2 or may be attached, as shown, by any convenient means, such as by bolts 6 6 passing through plate 5 and engaging threaded holes in rib 7 integral with casing 1.

8 is a blow-out plug adjacent to the bottom of casing 1 to permit sediment deposited in the casing to be removed at will.

9 is a petcock in cover 2 to relieve the airpressure contained in the casing when the trap is put into service.

10 is the flanged opening in the center of cover 2, to the lower flange of which is secured, by threaded engagement, the downwardly-depending tube 1 1.

12 is the bucket or receptacle contained within casing 1 and provided with central stein 13. Said stem has a reduced central portion, as shown, but at its lower end and adjacent to its top is of cross-sectional shape, substantially as shown in Fig. 4. The reason for such cross-sectional shape is to allow the water to flow up within tube 11 and at the same time to give said stem a firm bearing within said tube to steady the bucket in rising and falling. The stem 13 may be attached to the bucket 12 by any convenient means, such as by threaded engagement with collar 14, fixed to the under face of bucket 12.

15 is a cylindrical collar slidably mounted on stem 13 and provided with an annular flange 16 intermediate of its ends and having ports 15a 15al through the side wall thereof, as shown. 17 is annular washer or ring, adapted to fit down against said flange and provided with a flaring peripheral flange or lip, as shown.

18 is a valve-disk made of any suitable material, such as brass, and adapted to be slipped down over collar 15 against washer 17. The edges of said disk are provided with a flat bevel, as shown, the lower beveled edge being inclosed Within the flaring flange of washer 17.

19 is a cylindrical j ani-nut adapted to engage the screw-threads on the inner periphery of collar 15 and hold in place the disk 18 and washer 17 by means of an integral annu lar flange 20. The inner bore of nut 19 is beveled or flared at the bottom to form a valve-seat, as at 21.

22 is a small valve-plug rigidly held in threaded engagement with the upper end of stem 13. rIhe upper end of said valveplug is correspondingly beveled to engage valveseat 21 when raised to the proper position.

23 is a flattened conical valve-seat, of brass or other suitable material, screwed into the upper portion of flanged opening 10, against IOO which seat the disk 19 is forced when the lIO To said port 26 is coupled the waste-pipe, (not shown,) which may be provided with the usual valve to control the discharge.

27 is a cover in threaded engagement with bonnet 24, having a central opening 28 in alinement with opening 10 in cover 2. Said opening 28 is internally threaded to engage Worm 29 on stem 30, which extends through said opening, as shown in I* ig. 1

31 is a hand-Wheel attached to the upper end of stem 30.

32 is a packing within. the upper enlarged portion of aperture 28, which is compressed to form a steam-tight joint about stem 3() by means of jam-nut 33, screwed down onto cover 27.

The operation of my trap is as follows: The steam is admitted through port 4 by means of a suitable valve, (not shown,) the valve in the discharge-line leading from port 26 being closed. 'lhe petcock is opened for a moment to clear the trap of its contents of air and then closed. As the steam enters it is deflected downwardly by the baille-plate 5 to the bottom ofthe casing, where it deposits its water. The cock in the discharge-line is now opened, and as the water accumulates in the bottom of the casing the bucket 12 floats upwardly until the valve mechanism assumesthe position shown in Fig. 1 thus completely closing opening 10 in the cover 2. As the Water accumulates from the steam entering ort 4 it gradually overflows the sides of buc ret 12, gradually illing said bucket. When sufficient water has accumulated in the bucket to cause it to sink in the Water contained in casing 1, the stem 13 is carried down along therewith, withdrawing plug 22 from valve-seat 21, thus permitting a balancing of pressure by escape through ports 15a 15a and the central bore of nut 19 and out of port 26. When the pressure Within casing l has been thus reduced suiciently to allow collar 15 to slip down onv stem 13, the disk 18 falls from engagement with valveseat 23 and the elements ot the valve mechanism assume the relative positions shown in Fig. '3. The opening 10 is now wide open and the steam-pressure within the casing forces the water contained in bucket 12 up Within tube 11 along stern 13, out opening 10 and port 26 to the waste. VWhen sufficient water 'has been'discharged from bucket 12 to allow it to again float, it will gradually rise until the valve mechanism again assumes the position shown in Fi 1, and thus remain until enough Waterias overllowed into the bucket to draw it down again and repeatV the abovedescribed operation. It is evident that the bucket will automatically empty itself whenever it becomes filled. In case it is desired to empty the contents of the bucket before it becomes sufl'icently loaded to automatically empty itself, I screw down stem 30 until the lower end thereof pushes the valve mechanism out of engagement with valve-seat 23, thus permitting the steam-pressure within the casing to drive the water contained in the bucket up tube 11 and out into the waste, or I may so adjust said stem 30 that at all times said opening l() is entirely or partially open to alow the water to be emptied as tast as it enters the bucket or rises above a desired height therein.

It is desirable at all times to maintain a sufiicient depth of water in bucket 12 to Water seal the bottom of tube 11 against the entrance of steam therein. This may be efected by making said bucket ot' such Weight that it will rise to its proper position to close the valve mechanism while containing suflicient Water to iorm the requisite water seal.

'lhe object of forming vavo-disk 18 of the double-beveled form shown .to provide a reversible disk, so that when the beveled end lirst put in use is worn the disk may be reversed and the unused bevel substituted. The flaring ilange of washer 17 protects the unused beveled end 'from injury. The object of giving valve-seat 23 such a flattened or gradual bevel is to enable the disk to lind kits proper engagement with the valve-seat notwithstanding any Wabbling or unsteadiness of movement on the part of the rising bucket.

It is evident that many variations of the above construction may be substituted by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and principles of my invention. I do not,` therefore, coniine mysehC to the construction shown; but

I claim broadly- 1. In steam-traps, a discharge-opening in said trap, a tube communicating with said opening and downwardly depending within said trap, a bucket within said trap, a stem attached to said bucket and upwardly eX- tending within said tube, a collar slidably mounted on said stem, a valve-disk carried by said collar and adapted to engage said opening, a valve-seat in said collar, a port in the Wall of said collar beneath said valve-seat and a valve-plug rigidly mounted on said stem and adapted to engage said valve-Seat.

2. In steam-traps, a discharge-opening, a ytube communicating with said opening` and downwardly depending within said trap, a bucket within said trap, a stem attached to said bucket and upwardly extending within said tube, a collar slidably mounted on said stem, a valve-disk mounted on said collar and adapted to engage said opening, a jamnut engaging said collar and holding said disk in place, a valve-seat in said jam-nut, a port in the wall of said collar beneath said valve-seat and a valve-plug rigidly carried by said stem adapted to engage said valveseat.

3. In steam-traps, a discharge-opening, a valve-seat in said opening, a tube communi- IOO IIO

eating with said opening beneath said valveseat and downwardly depending within said trap, a bucket within said trap, a stem attached to said bucket and upwardly extending within said tube, a collar slidably mounted on said stem, a valve-disk carried by said collar and adapted to engage said Valve-seatJ a jam-nut engaging said collar and holding said disk in place, a Valve-seat in said nut, a port in the wall of said collar beneath said nut, a second valve-seat in said nut and a valve-plug rigidly mounted on said stem and adapted to engage said second Valve-seat.

4. In steam-traps7 a discharge-opening, a conical valve-seat secured in said opening, a tube communicating with said opening and downwardly extending within said trap, a bucket within said trap, a stem attached to said bucket and upwardly extending within said tube, a collar slidably mounted on said stemI a reversible Valve-disk mounted on said collar and adapted to engage said open ing, a Valve-Seat in said collar, a port in the wall of said collar beneath said valve-seat and a Valve-plug rigidly mounted on said stem adapted toxengage said Valve-seat.

5. In steam-traps, a discharge-opening, a conical Valve-seat secured in said opening, a

tube communicating with said opening and downwardly depending lwithin said trap, a bucket within said trap, a stein attached to said bucket and upwardly extending within said tube, a collar slidably mounted on said stem, a reversible valve-disk mounted on said collar and adapted to engage said Valve* seat, a washer mounted on said collar and surrounding the lower portion of said valvedisk, a Valve-seat in said collar, a port through the wall of said collar beneath said second valve-seat and a valve-plug rigidly 4o mounted on said stein adapted to engage said second valve-seat.

Signed at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, this 15th day of December, 1906.

CHARLES E. VANCE. Witnesses:

J. F. EDMoNDs, E. A. LAWRENCE. 

